Inscription device



Nov. 26, 1929. JOHNSON 1,737,500

INSCRIPTION DEVICE- Filed Jan. 31, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 INVENTORWITNESSES Georyefl Johnson MM BY M 7 ATTORNEY Nov. 26, 1929. e. B.JOHNSON 1,737,500

INSCRIPTION DEVICE Filed Jan. 31, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 16 'lfK/ENTORWITNESSES Gewyefl Jiuwan 1 BY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1929 GEORGEBIRMINGHAM J'QHNSON, F PARKER, SOUTH'DAKOTA INSCRIPTION DEVICEApplication filed January 31, 1927. Serial No. 164,927.

This invention relates to an improved inscription device and has for anobject to provide an improved structure and method whereby speciallydesigned letters may be '5 set up in a specially designed holder andthen pressed into a coating on a tomb stone for cutting out a desiredset of letters, designs or other configurations.

A further object is to providean improved method of preparing a tombstone or other stone for sand blasting numbers, letters or otherconfigurations thereon.

A further object. more specifically, is to provide a specially formedletter with double 1 rows of cutting edges and means for holding theletter in a given position when pressing the same against a preparedsurface on a stone whereby the surface is cut so that part of theprepared surface may be removed in order to expose the stone for sandblasting purposes.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a holder with anumber of letters therein, the holder and letters disclosing certainfeatures of the invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of part of a tomb stone with a prepared surfaceor composition applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the letter holder shownin Figure 1 reversed and pressed against the prepared surface.

Figure 4 is a View on an enlarged scale of the upper part of the stoneshown in Figures 2 and 3, the same illustrating the prepared surface ashaving been cut.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 but illustrating the out ortionas having been removed, ready for t e sand blasting tool.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through Figure 1 on line 66.

Figure 7 is an enlarged elevation of one of the letters shown in Figure1.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through Figure 7 on line 88.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a letterholder or board adapted to contain any desired num- 5 ber of letters 2.This letter holder or board is shown as made up of sections 3, 4, 5, 6and 7 and providing on one face recesses 8 for receiving three rows ofletters and on the other face recesses 9 receiving four rows of letters.It is evident that a large number of sections could be .used if morerows were desired. These sections are held together by suitable boltslOand 11 which are tightened when any of the recesses 8 are provided withletters 2. It will be understood that the term letter, in regard to themember 2 will cover numbers or any desired configuration.

The various letters 2 are formed as shown particularly in Figures 7 and8, namely, with the base 12 having upstanding flanges 13 and 14outlining the letter. These flanges are preferably formed on their outersurface with a straight wall 15 and on the inner surface with aninclined wall 16, said walls converging and making a sharp edge 17whereby when the letters are assembled as shown in Figure 1 and then thedevice is forced against a prepared surface 18, the letters will cutoutlines as shown in Figure 4.

As indicated in Figure 2, a stone 19 is provided which may be a tombstone or other stone and on this stone a prepared surface 18 ispresented, this surface consisting of a plastic composition of a wellknown kind "which resists to a large extent the action of the sandblast. Heretofore the prepared surface 18 has been used and letters orother configuration applied thereto by marking instruments or transferpaper and then the outline of the letters cut by a knife, after whichthe body part is removed so that the letter will appear as shown inFigure 5. In doing this the letters were not always accurately made andalso it required a com paratively long time to form letters in this 90way. In the present invention, the desired letter 2 is secured andarranged in a desired order on the holder 1 as shown in Figure 1. Theholder '1 is then placed at the desired point on the surface 18 as shownin Figure 3. The holder is pressed against the surface until the flanges13 and 14 cut entirely through the surface 18 and thus outline theletters as shown in Figure 4. After this has been done, the holder 1 andthe letters carried thereby are carefully removed and then by a knife orother instrument, the body of the letter is removed, that is, the body20 formed by some of the surface 18 isremoved so that an exposed portion21 of the stone 19 is presented. A sand blast is then applied to theexposed surface 21 so as to cut the desired letter. The surface 18 willprotect the surrounding stone so that the only part of the stone whichis cut is the surface 21. After the surface 21 has been out to thedesired depth, the prepared surface 18 is removed by an adhesive orsolvent and the stone is then ready for the market unless it isnecessary to polish or otherwise treat the same.

The method of preparing the surface 21 as just described, requires onlya very small time and usually a surface heretofore requiring severalhours can be prepared in the manner above described in approximatelytwenty minutes and in addition, the letters cut in the surface 21 aremuch moreaccurate than when out by hand. This will produce a morepleasing job as the letters will all be accurate and also uniform inheight and width.

What I claim is:

1. In an inscription device, the combination with a stone provided witha yielding coating capable of resisting a sand blast, of a holder and aseries of reversed letters carried by the holder, each letter having aparallel cutting edge whereby when the holder and letters are pressedagainst said coating, corresponding letters will be cut into saidcoating for defining the letter to be sand blasted.

2. An inscription device comprising a holder formed with a plurality ofadjusting members, a series of reversible members carried by saidadjusting members said reversible members having letter receivingsockets on each face and letters carried by said reversible memberspresenting cutters fon cutting inscriptions.

3. In an inscription device a holder formed with a plurality ofindependent sections, each section having a shoulder on the obverse andreverse faces thereof near one edge whereby when two of said edges arefacing, said shoulders will form letter receiving sockets, said sectionsbeing movable toward and from each other, means for moving said sectionstoward each other and clampin the same in such position, and a series 0%letters in reverse carried by said sockets, each of said letterspresenting the outline of a configuration which is adapted to be cutwhen the holder is pressed against an object.

- GEORGE BIRMINGHAM JOHNSON.

